Temporary relief for Greeks

From European Voice's Entre-Nous column

2/22/12, 9:02 PM CET

Updated 4/23/14, 9:15 PM CET

When is a taskforce staying put?

There was much debate this week over whether, as a condition of the latest international bail-out, Greece would be subjected to the indignity of “a permanent presence” of outsiders based in Athens ensuring that the public finances are managed as the international lenders desire.

There is already a European Commission taskforce, albeit blessed with perhaps more chiefs than the number of Indians warrants: Horst Reichenbach, an ex-director-general of the Commission; Jörgen Holmquist, another ex-director-general; and David Wright, an ex-deputy director-general.

Entre Nous offers the Greeks a test of when a taskforce is truly a permanent presence: when its members are no longer paid “mission expenses”. A bold prediction: the taskforce may be permanent, but its members will be temporary.